Editor's note: The following story appears in the Aug. 2 edition of the Daily Express. Our annual Progress Edition is themed "Unlocking our future" and examines workforce development, lifestyle improvement and what it takes to succeed in local business. Pick up your copy at the Daily Express office, 110 E. McPherson St.

Hurry up and wait.

For the Forest Lake Area Trail System steering committee members, as well as all of the project’s supporters and interested residents, that could qualify as the new rallying cry.

The money and materials are ready for the first phase of an eventual four-mile project that would connect downtown Kirksville to Thousand Hills State Park by a paved trail. Not ready, at least not as of the deadline for this article, is the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, which because the project is inside a state park needs to finalize construction drawings and gain approval from numerous offices.

So, the FLATS members continue doing what they’ve been doing for the last few years - hold events, raise money for future phases and talk to people about the community health and economic benefits a completed trail would bring.

“It’s taken longer than I’ve expected,” said FLATS member Royce Kallerud, “but I’ve never been involved in building a trail before and this is going to be a really good trail.

“I think it’s a great project and we really need it in Adair County. It will serve people for generations. The sooner, the better.”

Phase I, a .59-mile section that would connect the Thousand Hills dining lodge and boat launch area to the petroglyphs site and provide beautiful views of Forest Lake, is simply awaiting a green light from DNR. Through grants and private donations, that section is funded and when constructed, Kallerud said, it will be of immediate benefit.

“We’re going to have a great trail right off the bat with the first phase,” he said. “We’re going to see people out there using it soon, and that’s part of our goal.”

Work and planning is continuing for the project’s future, albeit behind the scenes and in the forms of various public events that serve as fundraisers. Members of the steering committee served as guest bartenders for the Dukum Inn at the NEMO Fair, and the Dukum has pledged three years of monetary support for the project in return. Colton’s has held numerous fundraiser nights in which it donates a portion of its receipts to the project. Service clubs like Rotary, Kiwanis and Optimist have pledged support, and the group has sponsored events like the recent Hilliest FLATS Ride Ever and October’s FLATS Half Marathon to raise money.

Page 2 of 2 - At every step, Kallerud said the group has found support.

“New information keeps coming out about how these are really beneficial projects. Missouri was just named the top trails state in the nation by ‘American Trails,’” he said. “It fits who we are in Adair County in terms of being a community with a strong history around health, with A.T. Still University, a great hospital, with health-related programs at Truman State and MACC, and it also fits who we are because we’re an outdoor community with beautiful parks.”

Kallerud said he’s hopeful the entire trail could reach completion within 3-5 years, allowing local residents safe access to the park, and park visitors the ability to easily reach services in Kirksville’s downtown, all without needing to utilize Highway 6.

That two-way traffic is hoped to promote healthy living and boost the local economy.

“It’s a great length,” Kallerud said. “People could use part of it, they could go in a mile and just enjoy the woods, or they could go all the way to the park, and the other side is people are able to come in from the park to the town.

“That’s where you have the economic and public-health impact we’re aiming for.”